Interview with Richard
13 February 2002
Richard invited Lavinia and I to his dressing room at Her Majesty's Theatre for a short questions and answer session regarding his career to date, his introduction to the world of performing, family life with his wife and two small children and his thoughts and perceptions of the character he now plays on the stage of Her Majesty's - the Phantom of the Opera.
| J. | When did you first realise you had a good singing voice? Did you sing at school - in the choir perhaps? |
| R. | Not then, no. I took my O-levels at Exmouth Comprehensive and then went on to Exeter College. As a singer I was what you might call a late developer. I saw my sister singing and thought it was a great lifestyle. She was performing in different places - Bayreuth, for instance, and yet having her days free. |
| J. | Did anyone encourage you to join a choir or take individual lessons? |
| R. | My sister gave me some singing lessons and then recommended the Guildhall. My first tutor was David Pollard and then I was taught by a wonderful lady named Johanna Peters - who sadly died a couple of years ago. Johanna, a mezzo-soprano, was Head of Vocal Studies and had been in the business (unlike David) so could give pointers and warn of pitfalls. At Guildhall I did one year on singing and two years on opera in a constructive environment, leaving in the last term for a job at Glyndebourne - a summer season in the chorus. Glyndebourne was a joy - a large country house set in the most beautiful grounds, where the audience would bring hampers of food and wine and sit at tables enjoying their picnics in the long summer evenings before the performance began. In 1989 I sang in Mozart's Don Giovanni at Aldeburgh with Opera 80 (now known as English Touring Opera). Trained for 6 years, including time spent in the USA with Renato Capecchi. |
| L. | Your voice has been classified as a tenor, a baritone and even a bass (from information gleaned on the Internet). |
| R. | I'm a high lyric baritone. |
| L. | How do you look after your voice? |
| R. | When I'm performing I don't touch alcohol or coffee - caffeine and alcohol are very dehydrating and the voice should be kept hydrated. I do vocalising exercises for about 20 minutes every day. |
| L. | What do you consider to be the most difficult language in which to sing? |
| R. | Czechoslovakian! Or Russian – anything that isn't Latin-based. |
| J. | Of all the rôles you've performed, which is your favourite? |
| R. | Billy Budd, Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin, Marcello in 'La Bohème', the Phantom of the Opera - to name a few. I've sung over 60 rôles. |
| J. | What rôles haven't you played but would like to do? |
| R. | The Count in The Marriage of Figaro; Javert in Les Misèrables. I love everything by Benjamin Britten. |
| L. | Do you have any theatrical superstitions? |
| R. | No, not really. I do like to prepare myself well in advance - get into the 'zone'. I often watch from the wings. |
| L. | Have any of your family seen you perform and what did they think (any show)? |
| R. | Oh yes. They've enjoyed everything. |
| L. | Has there ever been anyone famous in the audience when you've performed (any show)? |
| R. | I tend to 'blank out' the audience - to concentrate - so I don't really know. |
| J. | What about future recordings - do you have plans to record an album? |
| R. | I do hope to record a demo CD. |
| J. | How did you get the rôle of the Phantom? |
| R. | As you know, I was playing M. André, and was second cover for the Phantom during Mike Sterling’s run. Later I was offered permanent understudy when Garth Bardsley left the show. |
| L. | What preparation did you do for the role – e.g., did you watch the show as an ordinary audience member, read the novel by Gaston Leroux or visit the Palais Garnier? |
| R. | No, haven't read the book or been to the Garnier. Occasionally I watch the show but not always to the end. I tend not to watch the Phantom’s sections because I don't really want my portrayal influenced by anyone else's. |
| J. | How long does it take to get the make-up and costume customised to yourself? Did you have to go through the ritual of having all that gunk poured over your head (I ask because I've just been to the Theatre Museum and watched the Dave Willetts video). |
| R. | That's done at a place in Berkshire now. For me, I'd say about fifty minutes make-up. |
| J. | How long - or how much rehearsing do you need to do as understudy? |
| R. | No set pattern - just every couple of months. |
| L. | When you play Phantom for several days, what's a typical day for you? |
| R. | Pretty relaxing. Get up early - always get up early! Take my son to school, walk the dogs, vocalise to keep voice in shape, maybe some shopping. I write - descriptive writing. Go to collect Jonah from school. That kind of thing. I also teach at a girls' school. When I'm on call I can still take on concerts/private functions (e.g., weddings, fundraising for son’s school, opening of a friend's art gallery). |
| J. | Which is your favourite part of the show, and do you prefer one song to any other? |
| R. | Music of the Night. (J - must be a very difficult song to get absolutely perfect - as you do). It is challenging. As in the Angel scene – the high notes. (J - what is it like in the Angel - it's surely a bit scary when you have to stand and are high over the audience). It's cramped - like "Economy class to Australia!" I love the second lair – can let myself go because it's the finale - the end of the show. |
| L. | Any embarrassing moments? |
| R. | None. |
| J. | Did you enjoy playing M. André? |
| R. | Loved playing him - it was relaxed and fun. |
| L. | Who and what is the Phantom to you? Is he evil or simply a victim of circumstances? Has your perception of him changed since you first played him? |
| R. | He is multi-dimensional. Mysterious. A weird dichotomy between pleasure and pain. |
| J. | The show has been playing now for sixteen years. Why do you think the show is so appealing to so many people? People like us who see the show again and again? |
| R. | It's a fantastic story - it has everything. It's a love story - unrequited love. Girl who makes good. It has wit, humour, pathos, aggression. It's a beautiful visual extravaganza. Opera friends wonder why operas can’t be like Phantom - especially that first journey to the lair. |
| L. | How difficult is it to sing along to a tape of yourself? |
| R. | You get used to it! |
Our interview with Richard ended at that point as it was time for him to have some lunch and then prepare for the afternoon's matinee performance.
A big thank-you, Richard, for giving us an insight into your professional life before we knew you as our favourite Phantom.
Jeanette and Lavinia.
